Tatjana Szekeres
A graduate of Harvard, Tatjana had demonstrated drive and commitment to passing her classes, a budding Cultural Studies Sociologist. Just a little over a year after graduation was when Tatjana met the Acolyte of Mah. They had only a few months together, they parted late afternoon on December 21st, 2012. Later that night, through blurred vision she pushed herself to her hands and knees and began to crawl out of crater that'd sunken into the ground all around her. She found the nearest, living person that seemed as confused and disoriented as she, hoping they could tell her what happened. When her lips parted instead of words Tatjana found her fangs lodged in the other's neck and her hands like vices about the person's body. She'd been reborn, and that was the first of many bodies she'd left in her wake that night... Abilities Psychokinesis Tatjana's primary skill is in the use of Psychokinesis. Often use of her ability involves levitation (floating, appearing to run along a wall), moving objects with a thought (standard telekinesis), and manifesting objects out of psychic energy (relatively simple or small creations, often weapons, nothing as large or complex as a motorcycle). Assault doesn't require manifesting a 'tangible' weapon, however, a simple and direct application of telekinetic power can blow a door out of its frame. Objects should be in line of sight, but she can strike blindly by mentally calculating the distance to target (which, of course, means she can easily miss). Disintegration Less frequently Tatjana can vaporize solid matter, but the larger the object disintegrated the longer it takes to summon the power and the stronger her hunger for blood afterward (the hunger is cumulative over time). Unlike someone infected with the V-Virus--a Vampire--Tatjana does not need to feed regularly. Her hunger is more akin to someone with a 'sweet tooth;' fully capable of refraining from indulging herself unless severely drained. Given the energy required to destroy something as large as a building, however, Tatjana has not ever found cause enough to try; given the conditions of the area where she had been "reborn" she remains confident it is within her power. Something that large would leave her in a frenzy, as it had been in her rebirth, and now that society has begun putting itself back together it is unlikely such wanton bloodletting would go unnoticed. To say nothing of the disapproval her peers would undoubtedly have. : Despite Tatjana's pale complexion and her sweet tooth for blood (for the life-force rather than plasma), she does not have the rapid regeneration, and inhuman strength or speed of those with the V-Virus do. Nor does she have their ability to survive being staked, suffocated, or suffering severe trauma. Fortunately, she also lacks their severe weakness for sunlight. They do share a dislike for decapitation, and agelessness. On the other hand, using her psychokinesis/telekinesis Tatjana can withstand severe injuries by stemming blood loss; this may buy her enough time to receive proper treatment. And while she cannot regrow sections of her body like a Vampire, she does possess a heightened restorative effect that wards off genetic disorders, diseases, or organ failure (of the sort she'd experience otherwise from all the alcohol); it may be possible this effect would also retard the effectiveness of certain poisons or other toxins, but how much--if at all--would vary by substance and how it interacts with the body. This is why Tatjana never drinks plain beer unless she's simply thirsty; depending on the alcohol content and rate of intake she might drown before feeling a buzz. Skills Supplementing her powers, she is trained in martial arts (Jujutsu), advanced computer usage and research, cultural studies and anthropology, and linguistics. Since her rebirth she has also picked up on skills related to martial weapons, small arms, rifles, and explosives. Biological Profile Appearance Before The Great Shift, Tatjana was athletic, fit, and wasn't interested in tattoos or piercings at all. Nearly six feet tall at five eleven, she weighed a healthy one hundred and forty two pounds with as little undesired body fat as possibly from her regular exercise routine. When The Deity decided to blend with her the shapely, toned body was a near perfect vessel; the blending was not, however, unremarkable. Following The Shift her skin and eyes have become snow white, which stands in contrast with the long, raven black hair falling down to her shoulders. Colorful, light hues are often painted on her lips, though in their natural state are a dark crimson almost black. Her upper incisor teeth can also lengthen into fangs with the jaw strength to latch onto prey until they submit to the inevitable. She regularly wears aesthetic contact lenses to give her eyes the appearance of an iris and pupil. Most often the iris is bright, dodger blue or deep sapphire in color. Though when social or business circumstances warrant, Tatjana enjoys removing the contacts for effect as people stare into her solid, milky white eyes. Since The Shift her choice in clothing has taken a turn toward black and gothic-like styles. She enjoys shopping between slaughters, and often for more revealing clothing that could possibly be healthy given her aggressive disposition. Sleeveless tops, low neck lines, belly showing, pants, slacks, dresses, short shorts... If it looked freakish or made her skin glow it was good enough for her. Some things you wouldn't find her in would be bright, happy colored garments--a bright red could work, but a yellow would make her gag. Anything even remotely "normal," at least by Pre-Shift Standards, was not for Tatjana. The choice in clothing is completely dependent on her mood, and has nothing to do with enticing people--not that she goes out of her way to avoid making people feel uncomfortable. Personal Belongings Contact lenses (so she appears to have Human-like eyes), a spare set of contact lenses, and several anti-viral shots strapped about her left thigh (because you never know when something is going to bite you or someone you need to keep alive for a mission). Personality Before The Shift Tatjana held little belief in the Supernatural. Of course it was trapped on the other side of the veil torn asunder the day of The Great Shift. Once The Deity--in the Avestan language she was called Mah--found Tatjana, however, everything changed. The sweet, but direct young woman was blended with the cosmic essence of a cold, perhaps even cruel, but intelligent deity. She'd been chosen by a lesser acolyte that worshipped Mah in the modern age for the strength of will and her physical appearance--Mah never claimed to be humble. It was Tatjana's strength of mind that kept her from going mad with blood lust on the First Day. Since coming to age following her rebirth, Tatjana has become playful and even outgoing toward all races--except the Angels, being the messengers of "lesser" gods or goddesses, and Zombies being mindless meat shields (and poor targets being too easy to hit). Her good nature helps get close to people and groups interested in exploring the world, which leads to unearthing valuable artifacts and encountering countless hostile forces--both of which tickles Tatjana's fancy. Despite her approachable demeanor under normal circumstances, however, Tatjana can and does exhibit what some might consider a disturbing predisposition for spilling blood and destroying things (buildings, personal property, people). Depending on her opponent even in a fight her mood can swing from playful to savage with the right trigger--the wrong word, the wrong threat, getting the upper hand, and the like. Alone she can easily escalate an otherwise peaceful encounter; with people she knows around Tatjana is much more likely to reign in her more vicious or excitable traits--though a verbal reminder of their presence may be needed. * Likes: Destruction. Blood. Fighting. Running. Flying. Ice Cream. Strawberries. Music (esp. Rock). Power (Artifacts, Knowledge, Personal/Abilities). Rain. Winter. Cold. Full Moons. Motorcycles. * Dislikes: Spring. Zombies. Angels. Silence. Peace. Bright, Sunny Days. Politicians. * Strengths: Power. Iron Will. Restraint/Control. Outgoing. Dogged. * Weaknesses: Violent/Blood Thirsty. Unsympathetic. Merciless. Selfish. Unpredictable. Spiritual Convictions Only darkness is eternal. From the darkness She brought forth life, and to the darkness will it return. Only by Her light can we find the way. History Before, Tatjana was a budding Cultural Studies Sociologist. Energetic, friendly, outgoing, and content with her academics, personal life, and developing professional life she held dreams of traveling the world meeting people and understanding some of the lesser known cultures on Earth. She'd grown up in a upper Middle-class or lower Upper-class family that never had to worry about finances. Graduate of Harvard, Tatjana had demonstrated drive and commitment to passing her classes with A's and B's. Chemistry and Biology hadn't been her strong suits. Of course her parents were of a mind of a more prestigious career path, but Tatjana didn't flinch even when she was going up against her polite, but firm Mother and Father--she had to get the trait from somewhere, just so happened to be both sides. Just a little over a year after graduation, living in Atlanta, GA at the time, was when Tatjana met the Acolyte of Mah. She was a polite, young woman that fervently believed in this ancient deity. Why was a matter the young Cultural Studies major wanted to know, but never felt as though she'd received a satisfactory reply covering the real reason for the Acolyte's beliefs. They'd met when the Acolyte was being harassed for a misunderstanding and for her 'freakish' beliefs that she'd made little to no effort to conceal--even then Tatjana had figured she wanted to be noticed, but had never fathomed the reason why. They had only a few months together, but the Acolyte visited Tatjana often. Sometimes they'd go to a coffee shop, or to a park. Both seemed interested in the other to better understand what the other believed and what they were really like. At times Tatjana even felt somewhat close to the Acolyte, but never thought about a relationship; at the time she was certain she preferred men. When they parted late afternoon on December 21st, 2012, the Acolyte had said good bye with the strangest of look in her eyes. Almost a yearning or regret. Later that night, with the moon overhead, Tatjana woke. Through blurred vision she pushed herself to her hands and knees and began to crawl out of crater that'd sunken into the ground all around her. By the time she reach the rim her vision had sharpened and she found herself looking out at the dead and living sprawled about. Dehydration forced her up onto the street. On her feet she found the nearest, living person that seemed as confused and disoriented as she felt hoping they could tell her what happened. When her lips parted instead of words Tatjana found her fangs lodged in the other's neck and her hands like vices about the person's body. Grunting and moaning they fell to the ground as the blood poured down her throat. Each drop strengthened the Other inside, drawing it, waking it to the material world. That was when she'd been reborn, and that was the first of many bodies she'd left in her wake that night. Crossing through even a torn veil was thirsty work. Days passed before Tatjana returned to the crater. She could feel some remnant of who she once was had been distraught at so much carnage, but the new woman standing on that street gazing at the fallen Earth smiled. Glyphs appeared on the broken walls of the sunken crater. A language of the gods that helped focus her spiritual presence in this world. That day, and the January 1st that followed, marked the beginning of a new world--a changed world. The chaos and destruction that followed was deliciously maddening; she only found it sad that society had begun to adapt later in 2013. Fortunately, there were just too many creatures in the world and too little knowledge held by humanity to surmount their troubles too quickly; it left an unspoiled world of mystery and danger to its heirs. Over the next year Tatjana-Mah wandered the remains of the U.S.A. pushing her abilities and seeking any and all knowledge to heighten her own power in the world. Only later, in 2014, did she finally draw near to New York. It appeared a great number of reports had come out of New York. Zombie invasions. A Hell Gate. Things that couldn't be ignored; harbingers for things to come. With that in mind she's spent 2014 looking for a group to ally with in the hopes of furthering her own search. She could lend them her prowess, they could lend her theirs and together they could explore the splendors The Shift had left them all. Time Line Start Time Line here... Relationships Allies Npc_male.png|character name Npc_female.png|character name Enemies Npc_male.png|character name Npc_female.png|character name Category:Characters Category:Gnosis Category:Veil Crossers